Harvick: Points key to title

Driver says that new system is not all about winning races in Chase

Associated Press

Published 11:26 pm, Saturday, September 20, 2014

Photo: Andy Lyons

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SPARTA, KY - SEPTEMBER 20: Brendan Gaughan, driver of the #62 South Point Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NSACAR Nationwide Series VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway on September 20, 2014 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 464041031 less

SPARTA, KY - SEPTEMBER 20: Brendan Gaughan, driver of the #62 South Point Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NSACAR Nationwide Series VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway on September 20, 2014 in ... more

Photo: Andy Lyons

Harvick: Points key to title

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Loudon, N.H.

Yes, even Dick Vitale has endorsed NASCAR's new tournament-style bracket to crown a champion.

Just win and advance, baby!

Time for a T.O.

Sure, winning races earn a driver an automatic berth into the next round, decided after every three races, before the final four drivers are left to duke it out for the Sprint Cup championship in the finale at Homestead.

But piling up points can get a driver to Homestead even without a win.

Kevin Harvick would love to add at least a third win to a solid season for him at Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick, though, would trade wins for his first career Cup championship as long as he's consistent enough over the first nine Chase for the Sprint Cup championship races to be in the mix at the end.

"All you've got to do is be the first car out of the four cars to finish the race at Homestead," Harvick said. "You don't necessarily even have to win a race to win the championship."

More Information

NASCAR Sprint Cup Sylvania 300

When: 2 p.m. Sunday

TV: ESPN

Harvick has been in the hunt to win plenty of races this season. His six poles this year matched his total for his entire career entering this season and he's second behind only Brad Keselowski with 1,265 laps led. He has wins at Darlington and Phoenix and was fifth in the Chase opener last week at Chicagoland.

In a championship showdown that many believe will boil down to Team Penske vs. Hendrick Motorsports, Harvick could be a spoiler to watch. He doesn't plan to gamble down the stretch to win a championship.

"I think the whole winning thing is really overrated," he said. "Obviously you want to win. You want to win every week and you show up to try to win, but you can't take any unnecessary chances and that is kind of the box that the point system puts you in."

Nationwide:Brendan Gaughan surged past rookies Chase Elliott and Ty Dillon in a wild three-wide run after a final restart for a hard-earned victory in the 300-mile race at Kentucky Speedway. Elliott and Dillon initially battled for the lead on Lap 192 before Gaughan's No. 62 Chevrolet rocketed forward.

Trucks:Cole Custer is the youngest winner in a NASCAR national series race at 16, taking the checkered flag at New Hampshire in just his seventh career Truck Series start.

Sprint cars: Driver Scott Semmelmann was killed in a wreck during practice for a race at Beaver Dam Raceway. Semmelmann's car made contact with another car during the second practice session, flipped three times and hit the outside wall. Semmelmann was 47-years-old and from Brookfield, Wisc. The race was canceled.